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In order to address disparities, say the authors, it will be key to maintain policies associated with better outcomes for low-income communities, such as the expansion of Medicaid, that could provide access to affordable cancer care.

When consumers try to sign up for Affordable Care Act health plans on the federal marketplace, they may encounter hours-long downtime for the site; the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement would increase pharmaceutical exclusivity from 8 years to 10 years, delay access to competition from biosimilar biologics; Medicare is considering paying for telemedicine for a 5-minute check-in call, but physicians question the proposal.

Under the current administration, CMS has made several good-faith attempts to revitalize the current healthcare system. These efforts demonstrate CMS’ commitment to move our industry closer to value-based payment and consumer-centered delivery models. However, each of these reforms exhibits concerning characteristics.

A recent study determined that patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) had similar tumor microenvironment, but higher tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) exhaustion, than patients without COPD. The use of an anti-programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) antibody, nivolumab, was also demonstrated to be effective in this population.

According to the 2018 benchmark Kaiser Family Foundation Employer Health Benefits Survey, annual premiums for family and single coverage have increased in 2018 and the burden of deductibles continues to grow on employees. However, as premiums rise, so does employer investment in health and wellness programs for their employees.

Last week, the FDA granted approval to immune checkpoint inhibitor cemiplimab-rwlc, to be sold as Libtayo, for the treatment of metastatic cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC), or in patients with locally advanced CSCC who are not candidates for curative surgery or curative radiation.

A medical social network for physicians said it has compiled data that pinpoint the top 50 metropolitan areas where shortages of oncologists are expected to occur in the coming years. Doximity said the findings in its 2018 National Oncologists Workforce report are drawn from retirement trends, the percentage of state-trained specialists, and the prevalence of breast cancer.

This series of pharmacoeconomics posts will explore the meaning of $100,000/quality-adjusted life year (QALY) and why it might matter to these 4 P’s: patients, payers, providers, and pharma. Part 1 focuses on definitions and a basic calculation.

Treatment with Symtuza (darunavir 800 mg/cobicistat 150 mg/emtricitabine 200 mg/tenofovir alafenamide 10 mg) results in and maintains high virologic suppression rates, according to study findings presented at the 2018 Infectious Disease Week conference held in San Francisco, California.

A recent paper sought to address the knowledge gap in the literature with respect to the effects of cardiovascular events and thromboembolic events on healthcare cost associated with patients with polycythemia vera receiving hydroxyurea.

The Reagan-Udall Foundation for the FDA, a little-known nonprofit set up by Congress over 10 years ago to help the agency work with the private sector, is still struggling with funding as well as questions about its mission; the preferences of millennials are changing the traditional model of office-based primary care; Democrats are planning to force a vote in the Senate this week on overturning a Trump administration rule expanding short-term health insurance plans.

Patient preference should be considered because medications don't work if adherence is poor, the experts noted.

Some patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) experience a sudden worsening of their symptoms that require additional treatment—also known as acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD). A recent study, which investigated whether readmissions of patients with severe AECOPD varied according to the bacterium or virus identified, found that P. aeruginosa identification is associated with a higher readmission rate in patients.

A new study examining the effect of high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) on low-income adults with multiple chronic conditions found that almost half had a family out-of-pocket (OOP) healthcare burden exceeding 20% of family disposable income.

The decline in fractures caused by osteoporosis has stagnated, leading bone experts to suspect a lack in osteoporosis diagnosis and treatment guideline adherence. To combat this, the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR) has added 5 clinical care recommendations to prevent secondary fractures in at-risk patients.

Patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and febrile neutropenia that are de-escalated on day 5 if they were afebrile, hemodynamically stable, and without evidence of infection, had similar clinical outcomes and a decreased incidence of Clostridium difficile infections compared with patients without these early on re-evaluations for de-escalation.

Insurers in the individual market have shown improved financial results for the first 6 months of 2018 to levels not seen since before the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA); women can experience lingering health problems years after workplace sexual harassment or sexual assault; people addicted to opioids are trying to self-treat withdrawal by using buprenorphine, 1 of 3 federally approved medications to treat opioid use disorder.

The development of resistance to immunotherapy is poorly understood and is detrimental to patients who relapse on multiple lines of treatment. Transcriptional downregulation of class 1 human leukocyte antigen (HLA) may contribute to the developed resistance of immunotherapies, including checkpoint inhibitors, and warrants further investigation, according to a study published in Nature Communications.

The dual inhibitor first blocks 2 kinases that are known to aid the growth of malignant B cells, and then it disrupts the microenvironment that supports tumor growth.

Opioid abuse-deterrent formulations (ADFs) represent 1 aspect of an opioid risk management plan that is aimed at managing a patient’s pain relief and quality of life while also protecting against harmful outcomes of opioid misuse. A report, published by the Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare, outlined ADF types and strategies and concluded all stakeholders play a role and must cooperate with opioid risk management in order to be effective.

In a study presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Quality Care Symposium last month, researchers looked to assess the adherence to National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines in the neoadjuvant treatment of breast cancer and the impact on outcomes.

A recent retrospective analysis examined changes in diagnosis after a second opinion for patients with breast cancer from a multi-disciplinary tumor board review at a National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center.

Here are 5 things to know about antimicrobial resistance (AMR), one of the most urgent threats to public health.

An audit feedback intervention is an approach used to help providers translate evidence into behavior change, and at ID Week, 1 abstract showed that it helped reduce antibiotic prescribing for acute respiratory infections (ARIs). Another report showed that antibiotic prescribing rates for ARIs at medical centers operated by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) have steadily declined since 2010. ID Week is an annual conference focused on many different infectious disease topics.

Two studies presented at the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research 2018 Annual Meeting last month specifically addressed men’s bone health and compared their risks with those of women.

Previous phase 3 studies have demonstrated the efficacy of nebulized glycopyrrolate inhalation solution (GLY) for treating patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In a recent study, researchers conducted a secondary analysis and found that nebulized GLY demonstrated efficacy and was well tolerated for up to 48 weeks in subjects with COPD with or without background long-acting beta2-agonist (LABA).

A study found a lack of consistent and comprehensive coverage throughout the country, identified coverage-related challenges to accessing asthma care within states, and found substantial gaps between guidelines-based asthma care and coverage by state Medicaid programs.

Health plans sold through Iowa’s Farm Bureau will ask applicants if they have any pre-existing conditions, and some applicants could be denied coverage based on their answers; Congress this week approved rare bipartisan legislation aimed at curbing opioid use disorder, giving lawmakers something to campaign on ahead of the November midterms; a new study sought to assess the cost to produce insulin and to examine how biosimilar insulin, if manufactured on a large scale, could reduce the cost of treatment for patients with diabetes.

Coverage of our peer-reviewed research and news reporting in the healthcare and mainstream press.

The type of cancer a provider treats can determine how well he or she performs under the Oncology Care Model (OCM), according to research from Avalere Health that was presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Quality Care Symposium.